Boston, Massachusetts
Among the top 12% of US places for getting around.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 10% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade C, better than 31% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade B, better than 61% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A, better than 88% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade D, better than 24% of US places
- top 1% for natural disaster risk
- top 1% for airport distance
- bottom 1% for monthly owner costs
Boston is a major city in Massachusetts with about 666,000 residents. It grades A for getting around and F for affordability. Standout strengths include natural disaster risk, airport distance, and walkability. It rates lower on cost of living and monthly owner costs.
- The median home value in Boston is $685k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median household income in Boston is $89k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median gross rent in Boston is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Boston has a violent crime rate of 2433/100k, per the FBI Uniform Crime Reports.
- The average one-way commute in Boston is 31 min, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
Climate
Warm summers · Cold winters · Moderate rain · Heavy snow
very cold
cold
cool
comf.
warm
comf.
cool
cold
v.cold
56%44%clearovercast
Precipitation 4.3 in3.8 in
humid 100%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$89k79th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$82kbetter than 2% of US places
Home Value$685k95th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$2kbetter than 6% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$96kbetter than 0% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.60%better than 81% of US places
Income Tax9.00%better than 17% of US places
Sales Tax6.25%better than 81% of US places
Estimated total tax burden15.66%better than 15% of US places
Unemployment6.6%better than 27% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)29°F39th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)74°F35th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation49.4 in76th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall49.2 inbetter than 14% of US places
Sunny Days181 daysbetter than 9% of US places
Summer Humidity62°Fbetter than 64% of US places
Comfortable Days98 daysbetter than 84% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk8.9better than 99% of US places
Air Quality45 AQIbetter than 57% of US places
School Quality100.0better than 93% of US places
Violent Crime2433/100kbetter than 4% of US places
Property Crime1825/100kbetter than 23% of US places
Community
Population665,945100th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age32.915th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.6898th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9337th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+641st percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)44.2%15th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)21.0%90th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)19.6%85th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)9.6%95th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)5.7%75th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time31 minbetter than 22% of US places
Walkability14.7/20better than 99% of US places
Airport Distance4 mibetter than 99% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access89.6%better than 63% of US places
Amenities Nearby33.07better than 30% of US places
Park & Nature AccessLimitedbetter than 16% of US places
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Boston an affordable place to live?
- Boston is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $82k, better than 2% of comparable areas. Median rent is $2k.
- Is Boston safe?
- Boston is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 2433/100k (better than 4%). Property crime is 1825/100k.
- What is the weather like in Boston?
- Boston averages 74°F in July and 29°F in January, with 49.4 in of annual precipitation and about 181 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Boston?
- Public-school quality in Boston is above average, scoring better than 93% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Boston?
- The average one-way commute in Boston is 31 min.